Vegetation clearing - 2005Home | Human Settlement | Infrastructure services and resources | Vegetation Clearing | 2005 What does the data tell us for 2000/2005Vegetation clearing throughout the Shoalhaven has occurred disproportionately on the rich agricultural land, floodplain and coastal environment leaving the higher escarpment areas vegetated. Clearing of native vegetation is recognised as a major factor contributing to the loss of biodiversity. The Shoalhaven Local Government Area (LGA) does not have a formal process to measure the amount of vegetation clearing occurring. Council is currently investigating a procedure to monitor the amount of vegetation clearing across the City using aerial photography and/or satellite imagery. Vegetation clearing is also undertaken within the City for bushfire management by individual land owners, government agencies and Council. The amount of land mapped as cleared is 52,566 hectares which is 11% of the total LGA. Vegetation mapping can be viewed at http://gis.shoalhaven.nsw.gov.au/soemaps Illegal vegetation clearing has been identified within a number of areas in the City as described in the table below, which represents the total area cleared and the number of trees removed at each site. Many sites that come to the attention of Council have had vegetation illegally clear felled as well as individual trees removed.
A new indicator has been introduced into the report for 2005 – Trees to try and gain an understanding of the number of individual trees being removed within the City and should be read in conjunction with this indicator. A tree is defined as a perennial plant with at least one self-supporting woody or fibrous stem, being more than 5m tall, more than 5m wide across the foliage crown, or having a circumference of more than 500mm measured 1m above ground level under Council’s Tree Management Policy. In accordance with environmental and planning legislation very heavy penalties now exist for environmental offences. Not only can these penalties be handed down to the land owner, they can also be given to the contractor responsible for carrying out the work. The maximum penalty that the Local Court can impose to an individual is $110,000.00 with a further daily penalty if the offence continues. The Courts are quite severe in relation to costs incurred for environmental offences and have even ordered that land be restored back to its original condition with all costs to be met by the offender. Table - Illegal Vegetation Clearing identified by Council’s Environmental Services Section 2004/05
During Local Court proceedings three (3) contractors were prosecuted for commencing clearing activities without approval. These contractors were convicted and fined in excess of $5000.00. 
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